Purpose

The victims and the heroes were our families, our friends, and ourselves. They came from every background, every color, every ethnicity, every religion. They were everything that is good about America. Hell – they were America – and a piece of America died with them that day. Every one of them should be remembered in a way that will honor their memories and forever tie them to the symbol of America.

Recovering from recent heart surgery, John Michelotti watched as the Twin Towers collapsed and thousands of lives were lost. “I became soberingly aware of my own mortality,” said Michelotti. “I knew that history should never relegate the individuals who perished that day to mere numbers, but they should always be remembered by name.”